Rievaulx Terrace


Rievaulx Terrace is a grass covered terrace overlooking Rievaulx Abbey in the North York Moors National Park; it offers a unique view of the Abbey and nearby village. The Terrace was created in 1758 by Thomas Duncombe, who also inherited nearby Duncombe Park.


At either end of the terrace sit two mid-19th century follies – the domed Tuscan temple is thought to be a scaled down version of the mausoleum at Castle Howard. The floor came from the choir of Rievaulx Abbey. The Ionic temple was inspired by the Temple of Fortuna Virilis in Rome. It was intended as a banqueting house and is set up as such today.

Adjacent to the terrace is a woodland area where you can find a giant chess set and other games. Rievaulx Terrace is managed by the National Trust and so is free admission for members. Just a short walk down some steps from the carpark will take you to picturesque Rievaulx Village and the entrance to the Abbey.







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Yorkshire Lavender


Yorkshire Lavender is a hillside farm near to the village on Terrington in North Yorkshire, covering 60 acres of gorgeous gardens and lavender fields.

The lavender maze has an impressive amount of lavender bushes, all tightly packed together in a sea of purple with paths running between the flowers for you to follow and find your way to the middle. Once we’d reached the centre and found our way back out again, my coat smelled really strongly of lavender which was nice! The bees particularly liked the lavender and there were lots buzzing about as we walked round.


Admission to the gardens is £3.50 for adults, and £2.00 for children, although they are free to visit in March, April and September when the lavender isn’t fully out. The best time to visit is during the summer months. In the tea room, we decided to get a lavender scone to share because I wasn’t sure I would like it. The scones weren’t too perfumed at all like I had expected – delicious scones with just a hint of lavender, I even bought some to take home.


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Wallington Hall


I’m definitely making the most of having a National Trust membership this year. The most recent National Trust property we visited is Wallington Hall, near Morpeth in Northumberland. We arrived on one of the hottest days of the year and decided to look round the house first. 

Wallington is a country house built in the 17th century. The main hall was probably the most impressive of the rooms – although I did like the blue ceilings in the drawing room.



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Ormesby Hall


Another National Trust property I’ve visited recently is Ormesby Hall. Ormesby Hall is a grade I listed building in Ormesby, Middlesbrough. The manor house was built in the 18th century in the Palladian style, with work being completed in 1754. The house contains significant plasterwork, a Victorian kitchen and laundry areas and gardens, with my favourite room being decorated in sky blue and white. There are also a couple of rooms upstairs which house a model railway which is open to the public. The house and grounds were opened by the National Trust in 1983.


There are parkland and gardens to walk around – you can even play croquet on the lawn. The beautiful sky blue delphiniums were the first to catch my eye as we explored the grounds.



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